The Central Works Council (COR) of the Public Broadcasting (NPO) demands in aletter to NPO boss Frederieke Leeflang that TV director Frans Klein resignswith immediate effect. The participation body calls his visit to a TV fair inLondon ‘harmful to the image of the NPO’
Frans Klein director Video NPO during the season presentation of the NPO(Dutch Public Broadcasting) Photo: ANP/Hollandse Hoogte/Frans van Zijst (ANP /Frans van Zijst)
The letter was sent in response to reports at BNR that Frans Klein continuesto work and presented himself as an NPO employee in London. The outside worldwas under the impression that Frans Klein is officially at home. This isbecause, according to de Volkskrant, as director of both the VARA and the NPO,he would have been aware of abuses in the program De Wereld Draait Door byMatthijs van Nieuwkerk. In this context, the newspaper spoke of a ‘burnoutfactory’.
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The Central Works Council urges the NPO to take the temporary retirement ofFrans Klein very seriously and wants clarification on the matter.
The COR is annoyed that Klein seems to be continuing his work and still seemsto be interfering with current affairs now that an independent investigationis underway into abuses at the public broadcaster. Klein’s role in this willalso be explored. ‘The COR believes that this state of affairs is harmful tothe image of the NPO.’ The NPO, on the other hand, believes that Klein wasonly a ‘listener’ in London.
Interference letter of apology
Earlier there was already a fuss because Klein had interfered with thecontents of a letter of apology from Matthijs van Nieuwkerk. The head oftelevision visited the presenter in the dressing room to fine-tune the letter.
This created the image that Klein had a directing role in the background toattribute to the affair. That image has not disappeared, much to the dismay ofthe COR, as the letter shows. “It should be clear that this does not help tocontradict the image that the NPO Board of Directors is not taking thetemporary resignation of Frans Klein too seriously in connection with theimpending investigation.”
In the letter, the COR mentions ‘rumours’ that Klein even visits the office.COR chairman Fred Kwint does not want to comment on this. We hear the rumours.I’ll wait and see what NPO says first, that seems like a good idea,’ Kwinttold BNR.
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According to the NPO, the research will not be completed until the spring of2023 at the earliest. Until then, Frans Klein has resigned and will beformally replaced by NPO genre manager Remco van Leen, who until hisappointment functioned as ‘temporary’ successor to Klein ‘under’ Klein. In theNieuwsuur program, the NPO boss said earlier that investigating who isresponsible for the abuses at DWDD is ‘least important’. This could create theimpression that Leeflang NPO director was protecting Klein.
Klein took part in an international meeting in London on behalf of the NPO. Itconcerns the media event Content London 2022. Participation in this eventalone costs around 1,300 British pounds.
According to a source who also attended the meeting, Klein would haveindicated to other Dutch participants in London that his absence as a powerfultelevision boss is only ‘temporary’. Other sources related to Mediapark joinin that lecture. “Frans thinks he will come back,” a broadcaster said at ameeting this week.